Automatic cut-out or fuse-box.



' PATBNTED APR. 16, 1907. s. 0. ANDERSON & 0. H. FRENBERG.

AUTOMATIC OUT- OUT OR FUSEBOX.

APPLICATION F ILED OCT. 18, 1906.

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flriid 'inv , i-ially where used in heavy I m electric-ear ilhl li.

s PATENT SWAN {1. ANDERSON, OF 0A "1 PARK, AND CHARLES H. FRENBERG, OF CHICAGO, ILLIN 01S.

AUTOEVHATEC/ {BUT-GUT (3 F? FUSE ECiKi Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 16,,196.

Application filed October 18, 1906. Serial No. 389,460.

To all wit/1722 it may con/corn.-

Be it known that we, SWAN (I. Aunnusox and CHARLES H. FRENBERG, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Oak Park and Chicago, both in the county of Cool; and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful improvement in Automatic (jut-Outs or Fuse-Boxes, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to automatic cutouts or fuse-boxes, and more particularly to an automatic cut-out for electric circuits and of that class in which the current is broken by the fusion of a fusible link or fuse.

lleretol'ore in devices of this class, espes currents, such as service, when a fuse blows out there is a great tendency to form an arc, and to prevent this a magnet is ofttimes so con nected in the circuit as to throw ast bng magnetic field across the space occupie'. by the fuse and which acts to blow out th'e arc. While this method is successful in preventing arcing, it is objectionable biiity of the coil to become short-circuitcd,

m which case it not only causes the fuses to blow out repeatedly because of the heat gen erated, but also ofttimes sets fire to the fusebox and destroys .i't. Furthermore, such devices are comparatively costly, and where the coil placed in a compartment beneath the fuse it is so dillicult to replace it, that the car must be returned to the barn to make the necessary repairs.

The object of this invention is to provide an automatic cut-out adapted to instantaneously break the circuit when the current has reached a predetermined strength and which is capable of preventing an are being forn'led at the break without the use of a magnetic coil.

it is also an object of the invention to provide a very cheap and simple automatic cutout in which a slight tension is exerted on the fuse to enable it to break as soon as its temperature reaches its fusion-point,'thereby preventing the whole fuse from fusing and greatly redu ing the force usually accompanying the blowing out of the fuse.

it is a further object of the invention to provide a non-conibustiblo and moisturw proof fuse-box which is provided with sullicieni vent-apertures to permit the est-ape of because of the lie-- I the gases created by the blowing out of the fuse without forcing the box open.

The invention consists in the matters bore inafter described and more fully pointed out and defined hi the appended claims.

in the drawings, i igurei is a fragmentary top plan view of a device en lbodying our invention and showing the cover open. F 2 is a reduced side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the box and showing closed and in side elevation. 'f-ig. iis a similar view showing the fuse blown out and the cut-out open. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the fuse.

As shown in said drawings, the casing is represented by A and may be constructed of any preferred material, but as shown is con ner lining c of asbestos or other non-conibustible material. The'base a of said casing is extend ed beyond the end walls thereof and is provided with screw-apertures to enable the device to be attached to the car or other support. Engaged on the inner side of the casing, near above the margins of the walls is a strip of metal or other preferred material affording a l l l l l l 1 i flange o over which the cover A, which is hinged to the side wall, fits closely and provides a practically moist ore-proof joint.

W ithm the casing and covering the bottom of the same is a slab B of slate or other noncombustible insulating material, which is rigidly engaged in place by means of screws bf ltigidly engaged adjacent each end of said. slab and out of contact with the walls structed of Wood and provided with an in the cut-out mechanism' the top thereof, and extending of the casing'ar'c the binding-posts C for thetrunk-wires D. Each of said posts, as shown, consists of a piste c, which is rigidly enraged tosaid slab B by means of screws 1:" and is provided at its outer end with a raised lug or boss 0, having a transverse aperture therethrough to receive the trunlewire i) and having a screw-threaded aperture cpeniug into said transverse aperture and adapted to receive the binding-screws c for the trunk-wire. Said plates c, as shown, are provided. at their :uljaccnt sides with a pair of apcrtured knuckles between which its a complcmeiital knuckles of a hinged fuse binding post or plate F, and through said knuckles a piutlc 0' passes, forming, a hinged joint. The binding josts C are pro-fitted with hooks c at 1113 convenient point thereon; but as shown said hooks are beneath the lugs c", which are provided with a recess hcneath the same or that purpose. and inc hinged plates are provided with hooks c, on. wh springs t), which act norm-all to hold plates l turned outwardly lrom the slab,

1o hinge! h and on the hooks c are engaged coiled d shown in Fig. i. ltach o I 4 or plates 15 provided at its end oppos hinge with a binding-screw 0*, adapt-c. l ccive the ends of the lusc i, which may he ol any desired construction, but which shown more clearly in Fig, 55, comprises a strip ol readily-lusihlc metal having an at taching-carf at each end adapted to hook ahou t the rews ll prel'errcd and as shown of any suitahlc material in be brat Led or otherwise suitably connected :11. one end to the plate 0 and at the other end to the plate E to insure an uninterrupted current passing through the hinges.

The *asing A, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, is provided through one side, in alincment with. the transverse apertures in the lugs c", with apertures a, through which the trunk-wires enter and leave the asing, and is provided opposite the fuse with an. enlarged vent-apertu re a tor the iscapc oi gases when the l'use blows. A spriinpclasp .il ol any desired kind is engaged on the front oi? the casing and hooks over the cover when cioscd and acts normally to hold the cover in closed position. i

The operation is as follows: When in use, the hinged plates E E lie flat on the slab B, s shown in Figs. t and f5, and are held in such. position against the tension ofthc springs (1 by the fuse, which. is engaged beneath the binding-screws When the current becomes strong enough to melt the fuse, the hinged plates are thereby released and are immediately swung oppositely hy the action of the springs, thereby ii creasing .the distance between the terminals of the fuse and preventing an arc. inasmuch as the springs are at all times exerting some tension on the fuse, as soon as the heat becomes intense enough to melt it it is severed, therehy preventine its complete l'usion and greatly diminishing the l'orcc ot' the blow-out. it is desired to insert a new fuse, the current is thrown otland the S|)I'i1'lf {-f)ltli(5 again l'orced into alincment and the fuse secured beneath its screws. inasmuch. as there is no blow-out coil employed, the danger ol short- ILH circuiting is cntirel obviated, while arcingis a conductor U. I

ceive tronl' and adapt in. ie the same, a in said l: i named plat In. a, device of t'h cr nhinz ith :1. plates adapted to race plate in adapted i int n said hing aged at one end on 1 at the opposite end on sai adapted to nornmllv proximatelytong" each and l plates and tension ap- ..ii plates.

"' ed the tail); l). in av d the chi combination .liti'i,niii-' s s,o'l l'cse bimling-posls hin- '1 ihcrcon. uno adaptcd to lie in alinem nt ther with intern nc. a h c connect ing said histniamed ind means ad; pted to ng said posts ,JliOl) when the l'use blows.

4. in a device ol" the class described the combination with binding-postslorthe trunkwire, ol" niovahlc tusc binding-posts, fuse connected in said lasthanic-d po. and adapted to normally hold them in alincnlcnt with the aforesaid posts and intermediate the same, and means adapted to more said fuse l')iI1(liIlI--1')f)5ts opposit'cljvwhcn the. lusc hiow 5. in a device of the class described combination with an insulating-s .tli oi bira ing-rm'sts rigidly engaged th ind adapted to receive trunk-wires, i i bin ding-posts hinged longitudinally thcrcot ano adapted to be turned upwardly from said slab, a [use connected in said last-named posts and springs connecting said trunk-wire hindii'igposts with the hiss hiiuling-posts and adapted to turn said fuse hindiny-posts at an angle with the trunlewire bindi ig5-posts and prevent an are when the fuse blows.

ti. in a device of the class described thev combination with an insulating-slab oi plate rigidly engaged near cach end thereof and arch having an apcrtured lug thereon adapted to receive a trunlc wirc, a longitudh w 10th nally-dircctcd plate hinged on one dpi oi each of said plates and adapted to normally engaged in said casingzi a gagcd on said shim each having? an apcrnncrl h cd to rcccii'c the i'rlinh i therewith hook on fuse connected to said swinging each plate and coiled s heving oneend thereof engaged on said rigid plate and the other engaged to the hook on the swinging plate. in a device of the class described the combination with a casing having a vent-aperture in one side thereof, of an insulatingslab in said casing, trunk-wire binding-posts rigidly engaged to said slab, fuse bindingposts hinged to the inner or adjacent sides of said trunk-Wire binding-post and adapted prings each to the hook to normally lie flat on said slab'intermediate,

the trunk-wire binding-posts, afuse Connect ed with said fuse' binding-posts, and resilient means attached at their ends to'said plates and acting normally to swing said fuse bind ing-posts oppositely.

9. In a devioeof combination With a the class described the casing having a cover plates, a hinged thereon and a plurality of apertures in one Sld8 thereof, a resilient clasp for said eoyer, an inner lining of non-combustible end thereof 1 material in 'the'casing, a slabof insulatingmaterial in said. casing, trunlewire binding- I posts on said slab, oppositely-movable fuse binding-p0sts hinged thereto and adapted to normally lie in close contact springs acting normally to raise said fuse binding-posts to a position perpendicular to the slab and. a fuse Connected in said fuse binding-posts.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto affixed .our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

SWAN (J. ANDERSON. CHARLES H. FREN BERG. Witnesses: W. W. VITHENBURY, h/lAlIE WI'rnnNBURY.

with the slab, 

